Ties that bind
There are options for seniors to connect and combat loneliness
For about a decade, 76-year-old Carol Wilkerson has been coming to Carrie’s Cafe on Mondays.
“It’s just a good place to meet people,” said Wilkerson, who also is part of a knitting club at Lifecare Alliance’s West Side cafe. “You come across a lot of old friends you haven’t seen in a long time.”
Wilkerson, of South Linden, also volunteers at a day care and participates in exercise classes at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus.
These are the ways in which Wilkerson is trying to stave off a significant health risk for many seniors: loneliness.
More than one in three adults older than 45 feel lonely, a recent AARP study found, and research is increasingly showing that loneliness impacts health beyond just a state of mind.
A lack of social relationships has as much of a health impact as smoking or excessive drinking, a 2010 study by researchers at Brigham Young University found. Another AARP study found social isolation adds an estimated $6.7 billion annually in Medicare spending.
How frequently people are able to connect with others — and the quality of those interactions — are among “the strongest predictors of your length of life and of your quality of life,” said Holly Dabelkoschoeny, a professor of social work at Ohio State University and director of research for Age-friendly Columbus and Franklin County.
Loneliness has been associated with an elevated risk of heart disease, cognitive decline and mental health issues such as depression, Dabelko-schoeny said.
A hesitancy to ask for help is often the biggest problem.
“It’s really hard when you’re experiencing loneliness to know which first steps to take,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of the AARP Foundation.
If you’re feeling lonely or at risk of feeling lonely, here are steps you can take:
Columbus has two senior centers — the Martin Janis Senior Center at the state fairgrounds on the North Side, and the Gillie Senior Center on the Northeast Side — and other central
Ohio cities such as Westerville, Gahanna and Grandview Heights have them, too. Membership usually isn’t restricted to just the city’s residents, though fees might be slightly higher for nonresidents.
At their best, senior centers provide not only events and programming to older adults, but a genuine connection to their community, Dabelko-schoeny said.
Some centers, such as Grove City’s Evans Center, provide transportation for those who no longer drive. The programming at the centers also isn’t just the stereotypical bingo or card games.
At the Westerville Senior Center, for example, there are stone carving and creative writing classes and golf leagues, which is how Walter Gunther, 80, got involved after he moved to the city three years ago from a home near Apple Valley Lake in Knox County.
There’s an 18-hole and 9-hole men’s league and a women’s league.
“Even at our age, there’s some competitive spirit left in us,” Gunther said, laughing. But it’s the companionship of the league that he enjoys the most.
At-home solutions
There also are programs for older adults who face challenges leaving their homes or who don’t think group events at a senior center are for them. Among them are neighborhood “villages,” which exist in Clintonville, German Village, the Short North and Union County and are expanding into other parts of central Ohio. These networks not only offer things for seniors to do, but also have volunteers who can help with tasks around their home or with trips to the grocery store.
Other options include Catholic Social Services’ Senior Companion Program which pairs seniors based on where they live and shared interests. The program is focused on providing a mutually beneficial relationship for the companions, said Tony Parks, who oversees the program. For instance, the pair might go to the movies or get lunch and stop at the bank.
To qualify for the program, seniors must be isolated and struggle with tasks such as transportation, for example, Parks said. The number to call is 614-857-1260.
“The ultimate goal is for the client to age with grace in their own home,” he said.
A possible solution to minimize loneliness exists outside formalized programs, too, said Chuck Gehring, president and CEO of Lifecare Alliance, which runs the area mealdelivery service Meals on Wheels.
If you have an elderly neighbor, consider reaching out to say hello or see whether there are small ways in which you can help, Gehring said.
Other options
Volunteering is another way for seniors to remain active and connected to their communities.
An Aarp-affiliated website called connect2affect.org has volunteer opportunities for seniors based on ZIP code, and the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging also can connect people with volunteer opportunities, said Patty Callahan, a caregiving specialist for the agency.
Another way for seniors to maintain a sense of purpose is to have a pet. Though some seniors might consider giving up a pet when taking care of one becomes too demanding, there are programs to make it easier, experts said.
Lifecare Alliance operates Senior Petcare, which delivers pet food and helps with veterinary services, and Almost Home Dog Rescue of Ohio runs what it calls a “senior to senior foster program,” in which the Dublin nonprofit group covers most of the costs if an older person cares for a dog a home.
kstankiewicz@dispatch.com @kevin_stank